The Portland daily press., 1887-04-06
THE PRESS.
WEDNESDAY MORNING, APRIL 6.
JOHN PRINcLE's WIFE.
pemorest,s Monthly.

it that something Of more than usual weight
was on her mind. A few, however, had not
observed it In consequence of the minute
description of the trimmings on Mrs. Squire
Wrights new Boston-made dress, which
was being given, when Miss Maria Jane
awaited herself of the first opening.
i was In to John Pringle's as l came
along"
"AhP" The pause had to be filled. exactly
as Il every listener had not felt sure some
choice bit OF criticism or gossip were to fol-
low One even went as far as to ask:
round them all well, hope?"
oh, yes with an upward infection Of
Sne eyes. Found things about as usual.
~ Is amazin, though, the peculiarities of
some folks. 1t beats me to guess how John
Pringle's comm out"
baby wellp" was offered to fill up the
next pause, rather than with any solicitude
LOT the health of that young person.
.h,On' yes; found the little nurse gal fxin'
tnlngs up to take It out doors, and she
asqlng, zoo, with that everlastin' portyfolio
"a nee,CsLrlght after dinner, when most far
HeIs wives have somethin' else to do"
cally. "'-'
"And--what do you suppose she did afore
she went out?" Hands holding needles
were suspended in mid air. well, M'lindy
Jones is there; she's always there, SEWN
or fussin' over things that most farmers
wives have to fuss over themselves. Well,
john Pringle's wife, she brought out whole
bundle Of fiannels, and nice flannels they be,
Coo-better'n Johns mother had ever laid
out the money for-reg'lar made, and solid,
and all wool Though / think little mixture
OF cotton stops 'em shrinking. Well, she
Just gives 'em to M'lindy to mend up and
put away In tobaccer and campfire Her
husbands tlannelsp'
The exclamation which went around the
circle was satisfactory to Miss Maria Jane,
SO she resumed
Soon they was ready to start, so we come
put together, and / couldn't help q sayin' to
her; Most OF folks l know, Mis- Pringle,
has to do that for themselves"
What did she say to that?"
'Oh, she only laughed and said she hadn't
time for it--time indeed and that M'lindy
seemed glad to do it. So she comes along
until she gets to the grove, and there she
turned in and sets herself down on a stool
she took out of the baby's carriage and be-
gins to draw. must say she looked as pref
~ as a pictur while the little gal went
round with the baby and KEEP runnin' to
her with bits of wild flowers and such
trash"
John Pringle's mother'd a. set down to
her mendin' after the dinner dishes was
washed, and a. took care Of the baby, too"
Yes. / thought to myself how she'd a.
felt to seen that new-fangled bay window
going up outside her best parlor-the kitchen
was good enough for her to set it-and to see
IL used for every day, with carpet lookin'
like posy bed, and an extry fire"
hNNAAAo
"0h, yes; she winds him right round her
finger, you seei He takes care of her just
like piece Of chiny."
Il don't see that Mrs. Pringle's to blame
for wanting things nice about her." said one
Of the younger ladies, IF her husband can
afford it,"
THAT'S just 1.-THE can't. That farm o.
his amt going to stand many Brussels car
pets, nor servants wages without end, to
say nothin' of the SEWN girls doin' all the
mendin'.
TITS great help to Melindy, though,
know" said the younger lady. 'Since she
was lame she told me that Mrs. Pringle's
kindness had been a real Providence to
her"
''She must a. been ont in that grove afore
this spring." went on Miss Maria Jane, 'for,
as | come farther on, found this; see-this
is the kind of work she does!'
ITS pretty, anyways" said the younger
lady, as scrap of paper on which appeared
delicate tracery of a sprig of maiden-hair
fern, with violet laid against it was passed
around the circle.
Pretty way to spend ones time, | should
say. But I'm going to carry this back to
her, and L think | shall just speak little of
my mind. I'm really KIN to John Prin gle,
you know--second cousin to his fathers first
Wlfe-so it's my place to speak to her."
''of course, it's your place"
"And your duty"
Mrs. John Pringle had committed grevious
sins In the eyes of the farming community in
which she had appeared as bride three
years before. In the first place she was in a
measure held accountable for John Pringle's
sin in turning his back on the country lasses
who waited on the glance of his handsome
eyes, to bow before maiden in whose supe-
rior refinement he rej0iced with loyal and
proud appreciatiOn-she never for moment
considering that it placed her in any way
above his sterling qualities of mind and
heart. She had brought her own ways with
her to the farm, and her ways were SO differ
ent from the ways which had been handed
down from generation to generation of far
mer wives, as to keep up constant small
agitation among them of which she, being
absorbed in her own pursuits, was provok-
ingly unaware.
She had brought trusty servant to assist
In the work OF the house, which, the farm
being dairy farm with good deal of work
for women, was acquiesced in by those who
so kindly concerned themselves in her bust
ness, although 1t was soon whispered that
Mrs. Pringle left things too much to her in
order 10 pay attention TO drawing. which
everybody knows ought to be let alone as
soon as girl has done school. The dis
turbance which had been caused by unneces-
sary adornments of the old house-because
what was good enough for Johns mother
ought to- be good enough for Johns wife
Increased, as the sewing was turned over to
hired hands, and arose to positive excite
ment when little girl was taken into the
family to assist in the care of the baby.
l.
want to do an injustice to Twin soul" said
Miss Martha Jane, ''that she hardly ever
lets that baby out of her sight But, | take
it, a woman as has to be everlastin'ly fool
IN over bits Of danby paint, amt no call to
be wife and mother"
81 come to bring this to you, Mis- Pringle,
sp0sing it to be y0urn," said the worthy
spinster, as she was shown into the room of
the posy red carpet, where she found its
mistress seated at a desk, apparently alb
Sorhal in a fapJ Noxrarc which cfn in n
glass Of water.
"Oh, thank you very much Miss Brewster.
1t is one of a set of little wild flower draw
ings--the wind blew it away from me and
Sarah couldn't find it.
1t was fully two hours after breakfast, and
the pretty room was still in all the disorder
of the previous evening. Mrs. Pringle might
have noticed the comprehensive glance with
which Miss Brewster took in this fact, for
she said with smile:
C"You've caught me little too soon, Miss
Brewster. John brought me those lovely
little spring beauties just after breakfast,
and they fade so soon that / let things &C
while sketched them.'
In Miss Brewsters opinion this was treat.
ing the sacred obligations of thrifty house.
wifery entirely too lightly.
Most of folks / know, Mis- Pringle,n she
said, stif1ly, thinks duty ought to be attend
ed to afore friyolities. Now, John Pringle's
mother"
"Yes, / know" said John Pringle's moth
er's daughter-in-law, quite unabashed, ION
ly you see a floor can be swept one time jus
as well as another, and these flowers woult
not wait"
Miss Brewster was Indignantly casting
about for some expression which could deli
cately convey her idea of the shiftlessnes
of such principle, when an interruption oc
CURED III the person Of John Pringle coming
up the walk outside.
ergtfr ha RRhdeF What he thInk iSSifte ett
doin's this time o'day-when his mother
"a had her wash out and 'alP'-she rejocet
in seeing that Mrs. Pringle did have tn
grace to look little confused
"Oh John, DEAR" she said. 81 wouldn'
have left my room untidy if / had know
you were coming, but it has taken me eve
since to draw these"
Good morning, Miss Brewster" sal
John. Never mind the room, Janet--bus
ness before pleasure, you know !-eh Mis-
Brewster? Look here, Janet, came all tn
way back home to bring you these"
Business before pleasure, indeed! Mis-
Brewster was speeches. as the two ben
over few anemones he held in his big hant
She had no intention of including John /